Kent Bush: Sermons should win souls, not elections

Tuesday

Sep 30, 2008 at 12:01 AMSep 30, 2008 at 8:08 AM

Abortion and same-sex marriage have been defined as issues that transcend all others. That is true for most followers of Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin. However, it is not necessarily true for followers of Jesus Christ. G-O-D isn't a card-carrying member of the G-O-P.

One thing is certain: Preachers should never use their pastoral pulpits as a bully pulpit.

To do so is anathema to the church's true role.

On Sunday, 33 pastors, with the support of the Alliance Defense Fund, went beyond the normal role as a purveyor of godly principles and entered the realm of a political pundits. They didn't discuss moral issues, they endorsed their candidate.

Many used the opportunity to rail against Democrat Barack Obama and his views on same-sex marriage and abortion.

One of these pastors excused his actions as being necessary. He claimed that merely preaching Biblical truth on issues like abortion and homosexuality weren't enough. He didn't believe many in his flock could "connect the dots" on their own.

Abortion and same-sex marriage have been defined as issues that transcend all others. That is true for most followers of Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin. However, it is not necessarily true for followers of Jesus Christ.

G-O-D isn't a card-carrying member of the G-O-P.

Everyone knows joe Biden lied and claimed words that were not his own in a speech.

Obama's troubled youth and drug use is chronicled by his own self-admission in a publication he authored.

Some might see smoking marijuana as a major issue. Palin's fans won't want to hear her comments that she couldn't assert, as Bill Clinton did, that she did not inhale.

Her husband also has a DUI arrest on his record.

Not only that, but the couple was blessed with their first son a mere eight months after they eloped.

These issues also bear moral weight but drew no mention by sanctimonious pastors who felt the need to use their pastoral influence in the political arena.

McCain is an avid gambler -- a big fan of the craps table. He has used his influence in the Senate to help speed the spread of Indian casinos across the heartland. With his help, Oklahoma now has a casino on every block. McCain also has been known to gamble into the wee hours of the morning with his lobbyist pals.

He is divorced and remarried into a family that made its fortune by selling alcoholic beverages.

Is there no moral obligation to mention these misdeeds?

When did morality become selective?

Since the Supreme Court handed down Roe v. Wade, Republicans have been in the White House 23 of 35 years. Still the ruling has not been overturned.

Only after George W. Bush took office did any state allow same-sex marriage. However, in 1996, under a Democratic president, the U.S. Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act.

Apparently, there is no direct correlation between the president's party affiliation and the moral compass that directs legislation.

I have no problem with pastors spending as much free time as they choose working to get a candidate elected. They should go door-to-door; buy advertisements, use bumper stickers and plant yard signs. They have that right.

But their time in the pulpit should focus on eternity, not their own political proclivity. Sermons should win souls, not elections.

Do these pastors really preach a God so potent he can sanctify sinners, yet so powerless he needs our help in picking politicians?

Regardless of whether the IRS tries to take away offending churches' tax-exempt status, the choice to preach politics is wrong.